The news sucks right now. It does. I’m not going to sugar coast this shit. The second you turn on the news it feels like we’re living on limited, borrowed time and on the brink of Civil or Nuclear War. I admit, since January 20th I’ve been living in a perpetual state of terror and anger which has seeped into my everyday life. Like, people were worried about me, y’all. Like my doctor was like, here’s some anti-depressants, girl.

So I stepped away from the 24-hour news cycle. I get the highlights, yes. And of course the highlights only center around whatever ‘45’ has said or done.

The real issues – The ones surrounding healthcare, immigration, abuses of power, law enforcement in black and brown communities, passing of policy – These are drowned out or straight cut off from 2-minute segments where pundits talk over each other and nothing of substance is ever said.

The news cycle can and will drive you to depression.

So I suggest you walk away. Get your news from independent media. Practice self-care. Self-care includes laughing at the straight stupidity of it all otherwise you’ll be drowned in a haze of anti-anxiety meds.

Educate yourselves, educate others. Those who don’t care to be educated and are out here perpetuating nonsense, leave them alone. Do not engage, but stay watching. Like Biggie said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Those mofos will NEVER change, but they’re also slick. Focus your energy on those who wish to align themselves to causes which benefit us all. Make everyone’s struggle, your struggle. That is what a good ally does. It’s not just about resisting right now. It’s about showing the fuck up. It’s about rallying those around you to show the fuck up too.

I’ve been filling my life with podcasts and information and hope.

Here’s a few of my favorites:

The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle – This podcast has been around FOUR years and I am JUST hearing about it. Kid Fury and Crissle are hysterical, y’all. They cover hip-hop, pop culture, politics, and their tea spilling game is on point. Like, nobody is safe from these two, not even Beyonce and right now no one can tell Beyonce and Jay-Z shit. They are royalty. Kid Fury doesn’t care, though. He will read anyone in a two minute rant that will have you falling out of your chair. If you need to escape reality for two hours, give The Read a listen.

Bodega Boys – Once you get past their like, 6-minute intro Desus and Mero were basically put on this earth to make you laugh. Their podcast touches on politics, hood shit, hip hop and Caribbean culture with an irreverent approach. Like these dudes don’t give a FUCK. They remind me so much of high school, when everything was funny. Even the serious shit. I live for the Bodega Hive, y’all. Plus they rep the Bronx hard, not the gentrified bullshit. The real BX.

Desus & Mero – These guys also have a show, four nights a week at 11PM EST. I found them channel surfing one night and never miss an episode. Their show is just like their podcast, except they get to interview guests which range from Diddy to Seth Meyers. They’re the best show on late night, so I suggest you catch them before they get so big they ignore your ass at the barbeque.

On One with Angela Rye – DUDE! Listen, I have watched Angela Rye get cut off REPEATEDLY for shining a light on issues and injustices affecting black and brown communities. What did she do? She created a space for herself. Her podcast is super new, just 10 episodes; however, these 10 episodes are jam-packed with issues surrounding and explaining DACA, how Equality is NOT the answer, policies on bail reform, addressing recidivism, the powerhouses behind the Women’s March, and sophistiratchet (her term) tea spilling.

Pod Save the People with DeRay McKesson – For those who don’t now, Deray McKesson has been in the front lines of the Ferguson marches following the murder of Michael Brown. A former educator and a mayoral candidate, DeRays interviews are thought provoking. He interviews congressman, law makers, and sheriffs fighting the good fight. Did you know Terry McAuliffe tried to restore the voting rights of 200,000 former felons via executive order in Virginia? His order was overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court. What did he do? He restored a great portion case-by-case and sent each former felon a voter registration form. Yah. DeRay never hesitates to ask hard questions surrounding issues and shines a light on newly passed policies affecting black and brown lives. You have to stay woke and hopeful, y’all.

In The Thick with Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela – Maria Hinojosa has been in journalism for many, many years. She hosts the podcast Latino USA on NPR; however, noticing a lack of POC voices in journalism, she launched Futuro Media to feature these voices. In the Thick focuses on the issues from a POC (person of color) perspective.

Give these podcasts a listen. Let’s discuss. Here, on my Facebook page, wherever. Be nice, though. I don’t play that bullshit. Don’t come into my spaces nasty ‘cause again – I clap back.

Tropical Coconut Rum Pops

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the coconut milk, heavy cream, coconut rum, sweetened flaked coconut, and ¾ cups of sweetened condensed milk to a high powered blender. Blend until combined. Strain the coconut flakes into a large measuring cup with a lip (this will make the pouches easier to fill), squeezing on the coconut flakes to extract all the liquid. Taste the mixture and if desired, add more sweetened condensed milk about 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired sweetness.

Open the ice pop pouches and carefully fill each pouch to the fill line. Do not fill beyond the fill line, as the mixture will expand some as it freezes. Seal and place in the freezer for 5-6 hours.

Post navigation

I didn’t even know they MADE ice pop pouches you can fill yourself! I LOVE the coconut one from the corner store but they don’t always have the one I like. Now I can make my own. I’m definitely using this recipe when I make em and I am NOT waiting for summer!

Mrs_Bosslady

THEY DO – And so inexpensive! It’s amazing! Don’t wait for summer. I have pops in my freezer right now! If you try them, come back and let me know what you think!